A plantain farm on the outskirts of Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire. Current food production is among the largest sources of environmental degradation across the world. Credit: Friday Phiri/IPS
By Tharanga YakupitiyageUNITED NATIONS, Jan 21 2019 (IPS)
While the modern agricultural system has helped stave off famines and feed the world’s 7 billion residents, the way we eat and produce food is posing...

The work culture in South Korea is different and managers here often say that they are used to the rigid hierarchy at work.
By Ahn Mi YoungSEOUL, Jan 21 2019 (IPS)
Despite the international rise of South Korean businesses like Samsung, Hyundai and LG as global powerhouses, the corporate culture in this East Asian nation is often known to have a vertically rigid command line.
“When you have a good...

One of the street markets where fresh produce is sold in Buenos Aires. The predominance of an agro-export model based on transgenic crops and the massive use of agrochemicals makes things difficult for those who produce food for local consumption in a sustainable manner. Credit: Daniel Gutman/IPS
By Daniel GutmanBUENOS AIRES, Jan 21 2019 (IPS)
“Our philosophy is based on two principles: zero...

Tackling Development Challenges through Structural Transformation and Trade
By Andrzej BolestaBANGKOK, Thailand, Jan 21 2019 (IPS)
Structural economic transformation and the expansion of international trade are among the most pressing issues to be addressed, if Asia’s landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) are to overcome the development challenges related to their geographical locations.
The...

A man walks down the street. It’s a street in a strange world. Maybe it’s the Third World. Maybe it’s his first time around. He doesn’t speak the language. He holds no currency. He is a foreign man. He is surrounded by the sound. The sound! Cattle in the marketplace, scatterlings and orphanages. He looks around, around.
By Jan LundiusSTOCKHOLM / ROME, Jan 21 2019 (IPS)
I thought...

Photo courtesy: Shelter Associates
By Pratima JoshiPUNE, India , Jan 21 2019 (IPS)
One of the most laudable initiatives of the current government’s regime is the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) that was launched on Oct 2, 2014, with a larger vision of a clean India. The critical aspect of the mission was that—unlike many of the movements that preceded it—this had a measurable outcome (making India...

Reuters file photo
By Afp, United NationsJan 20 2019 (The Daily Star, Bangladesh)
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday criticized as “too slow” Myanmar’s efforts to allow the return of Rohingya Muslim refugees, describing the lack of progress as a source of “enormous frustration.”
More than 720,000 Rohingya are living in camps in Bangladesh after they were...

A partial view of camp settlements where Rohingya refugees have sought shelter. PHOTO: FOOD SECURITY CLUSTER
By Mohammad ZamanJan 19 2019 (The Daily Star, Bangladesh)
To date, much has been written and said about the Rohingya crisis. The regime in Naypyidaw has literally flouted all international laws and evaded pressures from the international community. Myanmar is now accusing Bangladesh for the...

If forest loss continues at the current rate, it will be impossible to keep warming below two degrees Celsius as pledged in the Paris Agreement. Credit: José Garth Medina/IPS
By Tharanga YakupitiyageUNITED NATIONS, Jan 18 2019 (IPS)
From expansive evergreen forests to lush tropical forests, the Earth’s forests are disappearing on a massive scale. While deforestation poses a significant problem...

This report is produced by UNB United News of Bangladesh and IPS Inter Press Service.
By Mohammad Zoglul KamalDHAKA, Bangladesh, Jan 18 2019 (UNB and IPS)
Polythene bags are everywhere – literally – and the world is not sure how to deal with them. Shopping bags made from polythene have become ubiquitous, showing up everywhere from the summit of Mount Everest to the deep ocean floors to polar...